"The first thing I shot was Darth Vader and the stormtroopers in front of the Capitol," Joe told BuzzFeed Life. "And it instantly became the most popular photo I had. It started selling out week after week, and that's when I decided to try to do more."

Equally important to him? Getting the technical aspects right. To offset what he says some might think of as a gimmick, Joe makes it a point to nail the composition, the lighting, and the focus. "I try to keep all of that very sharp," he said. "And I think that's made me a better photographer overall."